Meet Ellie Dinh: Director of Programs and Services at Second Harvest

What’s your role at Second Harvest Food Bank, and how long you’ve been with the Food Bank?

I’m the Director of Programs and Services, and I’ve been with Second Harvest for 12 years.

I started as the Program Coordinator for our Kids Cafe program and over the years moved into supervisory and management roles. I officially stepped into the director role in July 2020.

I always knew I wanted to do something to support children, which is why I pursued a degree in psychology, with minors in sociology and gender studies. During my time in college, I developed my love for programming – evaluating, improving, and creating programs that best support the community.

After college, I worked and interned at various nonprofits before finding my way to Second Harvest, where I was able to take my passion for programming and community support, and apply it.
When I found the opportunity at Second Harvest, it was a great fit from the star.

Who is your hero and why?
I wouldn’t say that I have one specific hero, but I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors and people throughout my personal and professional life who’ve shaped who I am today.

What is the most valuable piece of advice that you’ve learned?

There are two key phrases that really resonate with me.

The first is from Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead: “Clear is kind.”

This quote is hung up in my office. Being really honest and transparent with people – especially when it’s hard to – is what leads to trust, communication, and growth as people and as an organization. That quote is really central for me as I go about my day and support, coach, and guide my team and work with our partners.

The second phrase is something I think of often: people can’t read your mind.
If something doesn’t feel right or needs improvement, it’s important to speak up. Whether I’m advocating for myself, my team or our community, I take really seriously my responsibility to raise concerns or share ideas – again, even when it’s hard to do so – if that means improving things and making a meaningful impact for the community.

What does Feeding OC mean to you?

Feeding OC, to me, means showing up for our community with care, dignity and consistency. When I think about our work, I think about the people who rely on food distributions as part of their everyday lives – families making difficult decisions, individuals navigating challenging circumstances. Food insecurity is often just one of many challenges people are experiencing. So, if we can help ease that stress, even a little, we’re providing more than food – we’re hopefully creating some stability and showing care for our community.

What do you love most about working at Second Harvest Food Bank?

There are two things I love most.

First, the people – I work with an incredible team of kind, genuine and passionate individuals who care deeply about what we do. Every day, I feel grateful that these are the people I get to do such impactful work with.

Second, I love that our work is always evolving. We’re not changing just to change – we change with purpose, always looking for ways to improve our services and better serve the community. That culture of innovation and continuous improvement is exciting to be a part of.

What does nutritional security mean to you?

Focusing more on nutritional security has been such an important evolution in our mission and operations. It’s not just about making sure people have food, but about making sure they have access to nutritious food that supports their health and wellbeing.

We know that fresh, healthy items like produce are often the first to go when people are budgeting, simply because it’s expensive or spoils quickly.

As a food bank, choosing to prioritize these items requires more effort – sourcing, sorting and distributing perishable goods is much harder than just sending out boxes or canned goods. But it’s worth it. Our goal isn’t 100% efficiency, but deeper impact.
We ask our community what foods they want and need, and overwhelmingly they ask for produce. So, we’ve built systems that reflect those needs, even when it takes more work.

To me, that’s what community care looks like in action.

What has been your favorite memory from working at Second Harvest Food Bank?

Some of my favorite memories are from when I was out in the field helping set up our first permanent school pantries.

I remember building furniture, painting walls and seeing these spaces come to life. Being that hands-on taught me so much and gave me a deeper appreciation for what our partners do every day.

I’m also really proud of helping create programs from the ground up, like Mobile School Pantry. From the early pilot stages to a fully formed program, it’s incredibly rewarding to see something you helped design grow into something that meets a real need in the community and has since grown to serve so many families each month.

How can the community support Second Harvest Food Bank?
Come see it for yourself. Whether it’s volunteering, visiting our farm, or touring our distribution center, there’s something incredibly powerful about seeing the scale and heart behind our operations firsthand.

I wish more people in Orange County truly understood the complexity of our operations, and taking a tour is a great way to experience that.

Once you understand the work we do and the impact it makes, share it. Talk about it with your friends, family and coworkers. Raising awareness helps expand our circle of support. And of course, volunteering your time or donating are immediately impactful ways to help.

More than anything, I hope people walk away knowing that the work we do is rooted in caring for everyone in our community, and there’s always room for more people to be part of spreading that hope and support We would love for you to join us!